Head to head
Epiphone Emperor Swingster, Forest Green Metallic vs Epiphone Joe Bonamassa "Lazarus" 1959 Les Paul Standard, Lazarus
Electric$899
No ratings yet68Overall / 100
The verdict
The Epiphone Emperor Swingster, Forest Green Metallic comes out ahead overall — 72 to 68 on our estimated score.
Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.
Epiphone Emperor Swingster, Forest Green Metallic wins on
- Better sound (74 vs 68)
- Better value (75 vs 66)
- Lower price ($799 vs $899)
Epiphone Joe Bonamassa "Lazarus" 1959 Les Paul Standard, Lazarus wins on
No standout advantage.
Scorecard
| Metric | Emperor Swingster, Forest Green Metallic | Joe Bonamassa "Lazarus" 1959 Les Paul Standard, Lazarus |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 72 | 68 |
| Build | 65 | 65 |
| Playability | 75 | 75 |
| Sound | 74 | 68 |
| Value | 75 | 66 |
Full specifications
| Spec | Emperor Swingster, Forest Green Metallic | Joe Bonamassa "Lazarus" 1959 Les Paul Standard, Lazarus |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Epiphone | Epiphone |
| Type | Electric | Electric |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | — | — |
| Body wood | Layered Maple | Mahogany |
| Neck wood | Mahogany | 1 Piece Mahogany |
| Fretboard | Laurel | Laurel |
| Strings | 6 | 6 |
| Frets | 20 | 22 |
| Scale | 24.72" | 24.75" |
| Pickups | SwingBucker / SwingBucker | Gibson Burstbucker 2 / Gibson BurstBucker 3 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $799 | $899 |
| Back | Layered Maple | — |
| Binding | 7-ply Top and Back | Single-ply Cream, Top and Fretboard |
| Body shape | Emperor Swingster | Les Paul |
| Body Styles | Archtop | Les Paul |
| Bridge | LockTone™ Tune-O-Matic™ on pinned wooden base | Epiphone LockTone Tune-O-Matic |
| Bridge pickup | SwingBucker | Gibson BurstBucker 3 |
| Control Knobs | Black Top Hat knobs with metal inserts | Gold Top Hat with Dial Pointers |
| Controls | 2 Volume (2 Push/Pull series/parallel); 2 Tone | 2 Volume, 2 Tone, with 50s Wiring, CTS Potentiometers, and Mallory Capacitors |
| Finish | Nickel (BAG/DBM), Gold (FGM) | Nickel |
| Fretboard inlay | Block | Pearloid Trapezoid |
| Fretboard radius | 304.0mm / 11.97in | 304.8mm / 12.0in |
| Fret Count | 20 | 22 |
| Headstock | Epiphone Large Clipped Dove Wing, 5-Ply binding | 60s Kalamazoo |
| Headstock Inlay | Historic Epiphone logo in Mother of Pearl, Tree of Life in Mother of Pearl | Epiphone logo in Mother of Pearl, Les Paul Model in Gold Silkscreen |
| Joint | Set neck | Glued in, Long Tenon |
| Model | ETS2FGMGB1 | EIGCJB59LZNH3 |
| Mounting Rings | Black | Cream |
| Neck pickup | SwingBucker | Gibson Burstbucker 2 |
| Nut | Graph Tech® NuBone® | Graph Tech |
| Nut width | 43.0mm / 1.69in | 43.0mm / 1.69in |
| Output Jack | 1/4" Epiphone | 1/4" Switchcraft |
| Pickguard | Gold (FGM), Silver (BAG/DBM), with E logo | Cream |
| Pickup Covers | Nickel (BAG/DBM), Gold (FGM) | Nickel |
| Pickup Selector | 3 way toggle | 3-Way Switchcraft Toggle |
| Profile | SlimTaper | 50s Rounded Medium C |
| Scale length | 628.0mm / 24.72in | 628.65mm / 24.75in |
| Side | Layered Maple | — |
| Strap Buttons | 2 - bottom and shoulder | 2 - Bottom and Shoulder |
| String gauges | .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046 | .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046 |
| Switch Tip | White (BAG/DBM), Black (FGM) | Amber |
| Switchwasher | Black with Gold Rhythm/Treble | Cream with Gold Text |
| Tailpiece | Licensed Bigsby® vibrato with wire handle | Epiphone LockTone Stop Bar |
| Top wood | Layered Maple | Maple with Wide Grain AAAA Flame Maple Veneer |
| Truss rod | Dual Action | 2-Way Adjustable |
| Truss Rod Cover | 2-Ply Crescent Bullet with E logo | Bell Shaped; 2-layer (Black/White) |
| Tuner Plating | Nickel (BAG/DBM), Gold (FGM) | Nickel |
| Tuners | Grover® Rotomatic® | Epiphone Deluxe with Tulip Keys |
| Accessories | — | Certificate of Authenticity |
| Body Finish | — | Aged Gloss |
| Case | — | Includes Vintage-Style Case with BONAMASSA Nerdville, CA Graphic |
| Control Covers | — | Black |
| Jack Plate Cover | — | Cream |